Printing device, printing method, image forming apparatus and image forming method

Abstract

A printing method for producing a print having large visual effects mat processing the surface of a print made by an ink ribbon and a thermal transfer head. The images of color components of yellow, magenta, and cyan 52 are sequentially formed on a printing paper 23, and thereafter, a lamination film 53 is stuck to the entire image face in the same process. At this time, a silk texture or random concave-convex pattern is formed on the lamination film 53 and the mat processing having the large visual effects is performed.

We claim: 
     
       1. A printing device for performing a predetermined printing on a print surface of a predetermined printing medium with a color ink arranged on an ink ribbon and a sheet arranged adjacent to said color ink on said ink ribbon in order to be transferred onto said print surface by a thermal transfer head, said printing device comprising: a memory for storing minimum unit pattern data representing a partial pattern of a pattern of light and dark shapes to be transferred to said sheet on an entire print surface thereof; and   printing means for reading said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory and, using a predetermined algorithm, generating an entire pattern on said print surface based on said minimum unit pattern data;   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by looping memory addresses of said minimum unit pattern data when generating a flat pattern, a silk pattern, or an alternating flat/silk pattern, and   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by sequentially determining a random pattern of light and dark shapes on each printing line based on a predetermined ratio of light and dark shapes when generating a random entire pattern.   
     
     
       2. A printing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printing means includes means for transferring said pattern as a silk texture formed of a periodic and continuous pattern of light and dark shapes. 
     
     
       3. A printing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printing means includes means for forming a random pattern of light and dark shapes by changing a reading line at every line based on said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory. 
     
     
       4. A printing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printing means includes means for changing a reading starting dot at every line based on said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory. 
     
     
       5. A printing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said memory includes means for storing a plurality of types of patterns of light and dark shapes, and one of said plurality of types of patterns of light and dark shapes is read by selection of an operator. 
     
     
       6. A printing method for performing a predetermined printing on a print surface of a predetermined printing medium with a color ink arranged on an ink ribbon and a sheet arranged adjacent to said color ink on said ink ribbon in order to be transferred onto said print surface by a thermal transfer head, said printing method comprising the steps of: storing minimum unit pattern data representing a partial pattern of a pattern of light and dark shapes to be transferred onto said sheet on an entire print surface thereof;   reading said stored minimum unit pattern data; and   using a predetermined algorithm, generating an entire pattern on said print surface based on said minimum unit pattern data;   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by looping memory addresses of said minimum unit pattern data when generating a flat pattern, a silk pattern, or an alternating flat/silk pattern, and   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by sequentially determining a random pattern of light and dark shapes on each printing line based on a predetermined ratio of light and dark shapes when generating a random entire pattern.   
     
     
       7. A printing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pattern has a silk texture formed of a periodic and continuous pattern of light and dark shapes. 
     
     
       8. A printing method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of generating a random pattern of light and dark shapes by changing a reading line at every line based on said stored minimum unit pattern data. 
     
     
       9. A printing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a reading starting dot is changed at every line based on said stored minimum unit pattern data. 
     
     
       10. A printing method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of storing a plurality of types of patterns of light and dark shapes, wherein one of said plurality of types of patterns is read by selection of an operator. 
     
     
       11. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a printing sheet, said image forming apparatus comprising: image transfer means for transferring a color image onto said printing sheet;   film transfer means for transferring a transparent sheet from an upper face of said printing sheet having said color image transferred by said image transfer means;   memory means for storing minimum unit pattern data representing a partial pattern of a pattern of light and dark shapes to be formed with respect to said transparent sheet to be transferred onto said printing sheet by said film transfer means; and   control means for controlling said memory means so as to read said minimum unit pattern data of said memory means as lamination printing data and, using a predetermined algorithm to generate an entire pattern based on said minimum unit pattern data, controlling said film transfer means such that said transparent film transferred onto said printing sheet having said color image transferred thereon becomes a film having a surface with said pattern of light and dark shapes in accordance with said lamination printing data;   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by looping memory addresses of said minimum unit pattern data when generating a flat pattern, a silk pattern, or an alternating flat/silk pattern, and   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by sequentially determining a random pattern of light and dark shapes on each printing line based on a predetermined ratio of light and dark shapes when generating a random entire pattern.   
     
     
       12. An a image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control means includes means for performing said predetermined algorithm in which an arithmetic operation for determining which part of said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory means is used as said lamination printing data is performed based on said minimum unit pattern data itself. 
     
     
       13. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control means performs said predetermined algorithm and includes means for performing a first arithmetic operation for determining which data on a line of said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory means is used as said lamination printing data, and means for performing   a second arithmetic operation for determining which dot data on said line designated in said first arithmetic operation is set to a first dot data of said lamination printing data.   
     
     
       14. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control means includes means for performing said first and second arithmetic operations by using data included in said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory means. 
     
     
       15. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said lamination printing data is comprised of random data. 
     
     
       16. An image forming method for forming an image on a printing sheet, said image forming method comprising the steps of: forming a color image on said printing sheet;   reading minimum unit pattern data stored in a memory as lamination printing data in accordance with a predetermined algorithm; and   generating a transparent film having a pattern of light and dark shapes based on said lamination printing data onto said printing sheet having said color image formed thereon;   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates an entire pattern by looping memory addresses of said minimum unit pattern data when generating a flat pattern, a silk pattern, or an alternating flat/silk pattern, and   wherein said predetermined algorithm generates said entire pattern by sequentially determining a random pattern of light and dark shapes on each printing line based on a predetermined ratio of light and dark shapes when generating a random entire pattern.   
     
     
       17. An image forming method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said predetermined algorithm is an algorithm in which an arithmetic operation for determining which part of said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory is used as said lamination printing data is performed based on said minimum unit pattern data itself. 
     
     
       18. An image forming method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said predetermined algorithm includes a first arithmetic operation for determining which data on a line of said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory is used as said lamination printing data, and   a second arithmetic operation for determining which dot data on said line designated in said first arithmetic operation is set to a first dot data of said lamination printing data.   
     
     
       19. An image forming method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first and second arithmetic operations are performed by using data included in said minimum unit pattern data stored in said memory. 
     
     
       20. An image forming method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said lamination printing data is comprised of random data.